Celebrate Recovery Weekly Encouragement 7-20-23

Embracing Grace in Recovery

Ephesians 2:8-9 - "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.“
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Having received grace, one would understand that it is not something that we earn or deserve. God freely gives His grace to us through faith. This can be particularly significant during our recovery journey.

In our struggles with our hurts, habits, and hang ups, we may often view ourselves as unworthy or undeserving. We might think that we have to work hard to be forgiven, show our worth, and get rid of our mistakes. A view like this can be scary and even lead to feelings of hopelessness.  
But what Paul highlights in his letter to the Ephesians clearly explains:
It is by grace, the unearned and unmerited favor of God, that we are saved. This grace is shown through the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32).

In our recovery process, we must realize that we, like the Prodigal Son, are welcomed back not because we've "got our act together" but simply because we turned back toward our Father. We are offered love, acceptance, and forgiveness despite our past. But the crucial step is for us to accept this grace. No matter how far down the “wrong path” we walk, we are only one step away from heading in the right direction!

Celebrate Recovery acknowledges and embraces this grace. We recognize our need for grace and our inability to overcome our struggles alone. When we take the step to humbly surrender that enable us to accept God's healing power in our lives.

“He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As we work our recovery, may we daily celebrate and hold on to the promise of God's unfailing grace, remembering that our worth in His eyes remains constant, our past mistakes are redeemed, and our futures are filled with hope.

Prayer:
Father, today we stand in awe of Your amazing grace. Your love for us is beyond our comprehension. In our recovery, as we start each day, remind us of Your grace that we don't have to earn. Continue to mold us and make us into the men and women of God that you want us to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Brian Willems CADC 1
Ministry Leader
Celebrate Recovery
New Life Community Dinuba

Opioid deaths are at an all time high here in the Central Valley, as well as all across our country.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist. This means that it attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of other opioids. Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose. But, naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, and it is not a treatment for opioid use disorder. Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, and morphine.
After the training BCJC will be on hand to distribute Narcan to everyone that attends.

We are Bruce & Laurel Smith. We are children of God, servants of the Most High! And we love to serve together in ministry opportunities. We currently serve in the kitchen preparing meals for those who attend the CR weekly services on Thursday nights.
 
We were introduced to CR by Brian Willems (Laurel’s cousin) who asked us to attend the CR leadership step study training. It was through this study that both Laurel and I were introduced to a team of dedicated people who were seeking Christ to be Lord of their lives, and had a passion to help others who are struggling through life’s hurts, habits, and hang ups. And in this study, we found that we too had our own hurts, habits, and hang ups that we have had to face.
 
We have found that we need to remind ourselves daily of who we are in Christ, and knowing our identity is found in the person of Jesus Christ, then we can find victory over the issues we face daily.
 
In preparing and serving meals, we have had the opportunity to meet so many great people; from those who have volunteered time in the kitchen with us, to those who have donated food and supplies towards the meals and those who are seeking the Lord in their journey of recovery. We love greeting everyone, and taking the time to go out and have conversations to find out the stories of how God is working in the lives of those who attend. And in listening, we get to see the miracles that God is doing every day in people’s lives. Praise God!!
 
And that is why we continue to be a part of CR. We get to see miracles of provision, healing, salvation, and recovery over life’s hurts, habits, and hang ups!  If you haven’t visited a CR Thursday night service yet, we encourage you to come and experience God’s presence and seek victory in your life.
 
Our verse to share with you is Phil 1:6  “He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  God is always working in us to prepare us for the next opportunity of service for Him!